Tool for handling open-ended spring retaining rings



Znwentor LOUIS w. SCHAAFF,

L. W. SCHAAFF TOOL FOR HANDLING OPEN-ENDED SPRING RETAINING RINGS Flled Sept 26, 1946 March 27, 1951 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOOL FOR HANDLING OPEN-ENDED SPRING RETAINING RINGS 2 Claims. 1

, This'invention relates to improvements in tools for handling open-ended spring retaining rings, and more particularly to improvements in a pliertype tool capable of handling both the so-called internal and external rings as disclosed in application of William Duffy Serial No. 657,211, filed March 26., 1946, now matured into Patent No. 2,483,380, granted Sept. '27, 1949.

As pointed out in that application, the assembly and disassembly of such rings has heretofore required two different types of pliers, one for the internal rings which have to be contracted, and the other for the external rings which must be spread 'in their assembly and disassembly in and on their housing bores .and shafts, respectively. Hence, a mechanic who was called upon to assemble or replace retaining rings in the field was not only required to carry several sizes of pliers for handling the different sizes of rings, but also two complete sets of such pliers, by virtue of the fact that assembly or replacement of both internal and external rings might be necessary.

While a ring handling tool of the type disclosed in the aforesaid Dufiy application overcomes this difficulty to a substantial degree, being characterized by a construction which permits the tool to be operated either as a crossed handle or as a simple pivoted-handle type of pliers, the prior convertible tool was open to the disadvantage that the procedure required to convert the 'tool from one to the other type of operation was a somewhat diificult and complicated one requiring a certain amount of skill and practice.

The present invention, therefore, has .as .its

principal object an improved design of plier type tool which is capable of being operated either as a crossed .handle or as a simple pivoted-handle type of pliers, as required for the handling of both the internal and external forms of spring retaining-rings, and which is moreover so con-:- structed and designed that conversion from one to the other type of operation may be simply and readily effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convertible tool as aforesaid which is of simple, rugged and inexpensive construction and which is characterized by thoroughly dependable operation.

As'till further object of the invention is the provision of a p'lier type tool which is convertible to the handling of both internal and external retaining rings, and which employs a simple and readily operable means for de'tachaloly latching the tool parts in the position to which they have been assembled, i. e. either for operation as a crossed lever type of pliers or as a simple pivotedlever type of pliers.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken with the illustrative physical embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan View of an improved plier type tool according to the invention assembled to operate as a crossed handle pliers for handling internal retaining rings;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the tool followingits conversion to a of the simple pivoted lever type for handling of external. retaining rings; and

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, showing the two main tool parts in an axially separated position.

In the drawings, reference characters H! and Ii designate the two main tool parts making up a tool according to the present invention, said parts providing tool tips -ll, 1:3 terminating at their free ends in working points M, l5, and the tips extending from hubs 56, H to which handle portions l8, l9 are rigidly aflixed. The two tool parts it and I I are adapted in use to be pivotally related through the medium of a pivot pin 20 I which is rigidly fixed to the hub portion 16 of the tool part Ill to extend in axial direction from the plane face thereof, the pivot pin being disposed substantially on the hub center and thus lying on the longitudinal center line of the tool part Hi. As seen in Fig. 3, thepivot pin 29 is formed with the usual end-securing head 20a abutting against the under face of the hub 15, and with an axially protruding head 2% abutting against the upper face of said hub. The 'head 20 is provided with a circular groove Zilc for the purpose to be described, the groove dividingthe head into a bearing section .Zlid of axial depth corresponding to the thickness of the hub 11 and'a locking flange sectionZBe.

As seen in Figs. 1 and the hub portion I1! of the other tool part l l is provided with two spaced pin-receiving apertures '22 24 which are disposed symmetrically to the sides of the hub center and transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tool part. The spacing of the apertures 22, .24 is such that when the head 28b of pin 2611's passed :into the righthand aperture 22, the .tool parts .cross one another at their hub portions 1 ii, 'l'i'l, it being observed (Fig. 1) that the working point 15 is disposed .to the left of working point 14, and is spaced therefrom by a predetermined amount calculated to correspond to the normal spacing between the .ear apertures of internal rings of a size range. Accordingly, when the tool handles I8, I9 are compressed, the working points I4, I5

move towards one another so as to effect con-,

traction of an internal retaining ring into the aperture ears of which the working points I4, I5 are cooperated, the tool meantime operating as a crossed lever type 'of pliers.

On the other hand, when the head 20b of pivot pin 29 is passed into the hub aperture 24, the hub I! of tool part I I is shifted relatively to the right of the corresponding hub element of tool part I0 by an amount such that the tool parts extend substantially parallel (Fig. 2), and their tip portions and working points are transposed relatively to their position when the tool parts cross one another as aforesaid. Thus, the working point l5 lies to the right of the working point I4 by a small distance which is calculated to correspond to the spacing between the ears of external rings falling within a particular range size. ingly, compression of the tool handles I8, is causesthe working points i4, I5 to move away hem one another, in the manner of a simple piv- Accord- 4 shown in Fig. 2, the latch arm is swung to a position such that the semi-circular edge of the arm recess 29 enters the groove 200, with head flange 296 providing a shoulder to prevent unintentional separation of the tool parts.

Upon the latch arm 26 being swung in counterclockwise direction to an inactive position, it will be understood that by virtue of the free fit of the head 2% in the apertures 22, 2% the tool parts may be freely moved in separating direction, thus to facilitate'lateral shifting of said parts, as required to eifect conversion of the tool to operation either as a crossed handle or simple pivoted handle type of tool" As shown, the tool parts, although readily separable in axial direction, as aforesaid, are coupled together preferably by the spring 36 which handling of plane-form rings, they are offset from their tool tips in the direction towards each 1;

other, as seen in Fig. 3.

According to the invention, the diameter of the hub apertures 22, 24 is such that the head 2% of the pivot pin can be freely slipped into and out of either, thereby to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the tool parts and the conversion of the tool to one or the other type of operation as aforesaid. It will be observed that upon assembly of the tool parts for either type of operation, the tool part It can pivot on the axis of pin 29, with the bearing section 25d of the pin head 20b providing a bearing hub therefor.

To secure the tool parts I I3 and I I against axial separation in use, the invention provides latching means-which, as shown, comprises a swinging latch arm 25 pivotally secured at one end to hub ll of tool part H by a pin 2?. The latch arm is provided in its upper edge with two semicircular recesses 28, 29 which are spaced by an amount corresponding to the spacing of apertures 22, 24 and the diameter of which corresponds to that of the bottom of a circular groove 280 formed in the head 20b of the pivot 29. The

latch arm 26 carries an angularly oifset arm 38 provided with a thumb piece 32, the latter facilitating movement of the latch arm 26 to and from its latching position. The free end of thelatchingarm terminates in a bent-over tang or lug 34 which, through its engagement with the. outer semi-circular edge definingthe recess 28 thereof moves into the head groove 29c and embraces the bottom thereof, the flange section 206 of the head thereupon engaging against the latch arm and providing a shoulder which prevents unintentional axial separation of the tool parts. Similarly, to lock the tool parts in their position maintains the handles in their spread position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and against the bias of which the handles are compressed in normal-operation. Thus, as seen in Fig. 3, the"ter'ininal ends of the spring are coiled around cro'ss .,'pin,s 3?, 38 provided Within the channeled handles I8, I9 of the tool parts.

Without further analysis, it will be seen that the tool as described achieves the desirable objectives set forth above of providing a plier-type tool that is convertible to the handling of both the so-called internal and external retaining rings, which is characterized by simple and rugged construction and which is so designed as to facili tate and simplify the procedure of shifting the tool fulcrum point as required in the conversion of the tool to and from either type of operation.

' As many changes could be made in carryingv out the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatlall matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be in terpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

1. A shiftable pivot connection for pivotally connecting a pair of elongated members having terminals at one end thereof which are offset towards one another to lie in a common plane in two relative positions in which the terminal ends of said members are transposed with respect to each other, comprising a pivot pin having a cylindrical head carried by one of said members intermediate its ends and being disposed substantially on the longitudinal center line of said member, the other member being provided with two full-circular apertures having diameter corre-.- sponding to that of the head of the pivot pin whereby said members can be assembled one with the other by inserting the head in either aper: ture and said members are also freely separable, said aperturesbeing spaced laterally from one another and symmetrically with respect to "the longitudinal center line of 'said'other member by an amount such that when the head is inserted in one aperture the members extend substantial ly parallel and when inserted in the other aperture'the members cross one another and their offset terminal ends are relatively transposed, and latching means carried by said other member and .coacting with said head for securing said members together in either one of their two relative positions aforesaid.

2. A shiftable pivot connection as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical head of the pivot pin is provided with agroove. spaced from the surface of said one member from which it protrudes an amount corresponding to the thickness REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Marble May 18, 1897 Schoening Dec. 22, 1914 Milhening Dec. 12, 1916 Roebuck Feb. 27, 1917 Young Mar. 28, 1922 Dalley Apr. 8, 1941 Feitl et a1. Apr. 13, 1948 Hansen July 5, 1949 Duffy Sept. 27, 1949 Heimann Sept. 27, 1949 

